The Proliferation of Picks

Still life: Roseville, McCoy, Mah Jongg tiles, a shell found on the beach in Florida, a mini Eiffel Tower, and guitar picks.

Don rarely uses a pick. He’s told me so. Repeatedly.

This raises a question: Why, then, are there picks everywhere in the cottage? They seem to expand, grow, clone themselves. Are they multiplying overnight? Do they have parties when we are blissfully sleeping in our bed, unaware of the activity happening directly below us?

Are the picks, like some mutant strain, going to take over the house?

I wonder.

It gives one pause.

Windy and cold all day yesterday. Windy again today. When, oh when, will I finally be able to pot the flats of impatiens that are now living on my living room floor because the temperature went down to 36 degrees last night? When will I be able to walk around outside without the wind kicking even more pollen than usual into my eyes?

I did manage to get the morning glory and zinnia seeds planted on Saturday.

That my friends, is it. That, and we finished Season Two of Grace and Frankie. And now we’re sad that it’s over until whenever Season Three is released. I’m going to write about that show and why it’s so amazing and rare sometime later in the week. I want to get my thoughts together.

In the meantime, I’ve written a review of The Travelers by Chris Pavone. It’s on Just Let Me Finish This Page today. Excellent, excellent, excellent! Stop by and read about it.

Comments

I finished season 2 of Frankie and Grace too. I loved the series and will watch it again while I sew. I am glad they are going to do more. I am off to clean my house after being a little lazy for 2 days. Enjoy your day.

HI Claudia. Our neighbor said that yesterday felt more like February. It was cold and very, very windy. The tomato plans, eggplant, rosemary and other things we bought at a nursery Saturday morning are now in our downstairs bathtub due to the cold overnight temps.

Read your review of The Travelers – looks good. I checked my library and they have his first two as e-books, so I may try one of them.

I must be the strange one. Everyone else seems to love Grace and Frankie. I watched a few episodes and thought it was somewhat stilted. There were parts that made me laugh, but overall I kept just wanting it to be over. Maybe I’ll give it another try.

My Sister and I power watched all of season 2 last week. I loved it and agree with what you said about it getting better and better. So many issues that we all share were dealt with in a wise, serious but amusing way.

I will be watching Season 2 of Grace & Frankie soon. I loved season 1. It’s cool here today but so far my plants are doing well. Working this week on getting ready to move Mom on Sat. I’ll be glad when that is done!!
hugs,
Linda

Haven’t watched Grace & Frankie yet, but it is a show I do want to see. Just have to do it.
I have never ever been a fan of “Spring” as it is always (in my opinion) a disappointment. Always. This year it just seems to be totally ridiculous. I am not asking for 70’s or 80’s…. I will gladly take several weeks of 60’s just to get the yard work done. The poor plants. They are as confused as we are. ugh.
Hope you have a windless lovely day there!! Positive thoughts going forward……

I have yet to see Frankie and Grace…but it’s on my list. And I’ve heard only good things…so I just have to make time! It is warmer here this week…but still windy today. I’m off to the nursery to find some color….I need to get my fingers dirty! Enjoy your day…hope you can plant those impatiens! ;)

Good morning, Claudia. I haven’t checked out Grace & Frankie yet, but plan to do so, based on your recommendation. Have you and Don watched “The Night Manager” on AMC? I wasn’t sure that I would like it, but I’m captivated. There are six episodes, I believe, and they do re-run the first few now and again; you’d have to check your local schedule. Anyway, the cast is fantastic, and the scenery is outstanding. Here is a synopsis that I found; it sounds like something you and Don might enjoy:

“Based on John le Carré’s novel of the same name, `The Night Manager’ is a crime drama following the work of former British soldier Jonathan Pine. Hotel night porter Pine is contacted by an intelligence operative who asks for his assistance to spy on international businessman Richard Roper. The entrepreneur is believed to have forged a criminal alliance between the secret arms trade and the intelligence community, prompting the need for surveillance. Pine attempts to infiltrate Roper’s inner circle by becoming a felon himself, while keeping his mission a secret from his hotel colleagues and girlfriend.”

I need to buy two more raised beds (we buy galvanized steel ones from a company in Texas….made in the USA) since more vegetable seeds germinated. We are in the throes of late Spring…I doubt we’ll get any more rain. I’ve been busily collecting garden sculptures. I bought two goats last week, made in Mexico by artisans who weld the metal together and paint them using automobile painting techniques, which make the sculptures more weather resistant. Nevertheless, I’m housing them indoors if and when rainy season returns. I’ll send a photo to you, Claudia, on your email.

It’s fun looking and discovering just the perfect “thing”. I have two cats in the garden, one made of cement that my husband and I bought in Mendocino over 30 years ago, and a stretching cat with a bird on its tail made of metal. I also have three wee ducklings that are set next to the water bowls for the honeybees, a cement bunny from Target of all places, and a resin hare. My daughters take care of a neighbor’s rabbits and hares, so obviously, we had to have those animals in the yard too. Pretty soon, I’ll have more sculpture than plants!

Funny! I had a giggle at the guitar pick scenario. ;) having musicians in the home here– I remember particularly my son, picks everywhere, kitchen counter, on top of the dryer, in the soap dish in the bathroom-
He used to leave them everywhere! … But he swore he hardly ever used them.
I believe him— why else would he discard them.
I think he collected them like a boy would collect baseball cards.
Or like my mother in love collected hotel soaps… The art on them maybe or the ads?
Who knows!

When our boys lived at home we had guitar picks everywhere. I woul even find them on the bathroom counter! They both are wonderful guitarists. We had a nasty cold weekend, but today ended up beautiful. We have one more day of sunshine predicted and then 6 days of rain and chilly temperatures. I’m not complaining about the rain though because I do NOT want a repeat of last years fires. We already have two forest fires in our state burning right now. So the rain is fine, I would just prefer it to be a bit warmer. Have a lovely day Claudia.
Blessings,
Betsy

So funny about the guitar picks Claudia..at least you can be thankful that they are small…I don’t know anything about Grace & Frankie…but I do know I am impatiently waiting the return of “Mr Robot”…Also hoping to see Don at work in it again…

Well, I’ve tried to leave this message three times. I’m having trouble moving around your site right now (sometime after 11pm PST); maybe it’s on my end; I dunno, but only just getting on the computer right now for the first time today. We had a busy day, husband and I both with doctor appointments (starting at 8am), different cities, accompanying each other to whichever appointment, which is kinda nice because it always helps to have another pair of ears.

I abused the sun til I was age 35…bad idea for anybody, but especially a very fair complexion; I’ve had some horrendous sunburns, nothing of which I’m proud (I’ve been a lunatic when it comes to sun exposure…I lived at the beach and would go to a tanning bed at the same time; my mind goes blank today, when I consider the idiocy of things I did in the past). Anyway, my annual checkup with the dermatologist gets me pretty anxious but, sigh of relief, no skin cancer for now (and I hope never). But, oh, to my point on the doctor appointments, at my husband’s appointment (post-surgery appointment; he had that operation in January); the doctor mentioned (somberly shaking her head, as if in wonderment)…although this is SoCalif and not the Northeast…how many patients she has right now who are suffering such bad allergies, different from other years; lots of sufferers (you are not alone!).

But, wow, your weather seems weird. hope it all improves for you soonest! We were 80 degrees (F) at peak today, late afternoon, once the sun came out. Humidity really gets to me and our skies are SO hazy right now. A lot of driving today for us…so we consequently saw a lot of roadside landscape and it’s disheartening to see how fast SoCalif is already losing its green; I mean, I knew it wouldn’t last, we’re still in a drought, but our greening up and early busting out of Spring was oh so, all too brief.

Grace & Frankie…my husband caught a couple of episodes and thinks it’s a really good show; will look forward to your synopsis/opinion.

Guitar picks I know nothing about…I tried to learn how to play the guitar as a young adult (took lessons) and I was a disaster at it; could never make my small hands work those strings. I have immense admiration of anyone who can play the guitar; it’s such a wonderful instrument but, for me, it was hard to play! I watch (or hear) in pure awe…Clapton, Jeff Beck, Joe Bonamassa, Earl Klugh, Keith Urban, Vince Gill, Bonnie Raitt, Andrés Segovia ( you could go on and on with that kind of guitar-artistry list).

I have a guitar that we bought when I was temporarily back in San Diego. I thought it would be fun to learn. Fast forward several years, and I’ve not learned a thing. Though lately, Don has been talking about teaching me some chords. Maybe I can learn 3 chords and sing a song or two. I sang professionally for many years and Don misses hearing me sing. We’ll see…

My eighteen your son is a bass guitarist and find them everywhere even one in my car! Maybe you could use one of Don’s guitar pick as a modern piece of art work in his studio you are building for him! Hugs Janine

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband and dog. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating. My decorating style is eclectic but if I had to call it anything, I'd call it Christmas in Connecticut, after all those forties movies with comfy cottage style.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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